Vehicle-rim.



J.B. HALE. VEBJGLE RIM. APPLIGATION num SEPT. 11,;911.

Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

.w 1W m A M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. HALE, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOODYEAR, TIRE AND RUBBER COMPANY, OF AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

VEHICLE-RIM.

rovements in Vehicle-Rims, of which the i ollowing is a. specication.

This invention relates to improvements in vehicle wheels, and has especial relation to means for detachably mounting a tire-bearin rim on a, wheel;

Vheels as now commonly constructed for vehicles, and especiallyl for automobiles, are made in standard sizes and usually comprisea. felly on which is mounted a fellyband having a dat outer face; and this invention contemplates the provision of snitablemeans for'securely mounting a tirecarrying rim on the felly-band in such a manner that it may be readily removed and replaced when desired to enable the user of avehicle to substitute another rim carrying o. fresh'tire, at any time without the requirement for especial tools, thereby avoidin the necessity of repairing a tire during a. ourney. s

he inventioncontemplates theprovision of s, split contractible rin ada ted to be mounted on the {elly-ban an provided with a oved outer face, the sides of the groove in inclined and inwardly converging. lVithin the roove are placed two we ging-elements, suc as expansiblesplit rings. The tire-carrying rim is positioned to surround the latter so that when they are shifted sidewise away from each other the will ex and and envage the rim and simu ,taneous y contra/ct t. ie grooved-ring to cause the latter to closely grasp the telly-band and at the saine time the wedgingelenient will engage the tirefcarrying rim.

' lith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in then,I ovel con struction, combination and arran mentof parts constituting the invent ion to l herinafter specilically described und illustrated in ille accompanying drawings which form pari hereof wherein is shown the preferred emlmdiment of the invention, but it is to la4 understood that changes, variations and naotlilications can be resul-tml to which como within the scope 0f the claim hereunto appended.

In the drawings in which slnllar reference numerals indicate like pas ls in the dif- Specieation of Letters Patent. Application tiled September 11, 1811. Serial No'. 648,725.

ring 3 1s Patented J an. 2,1912.

ferent figures, Figure 1, is a. transverse sectional view of the rim portion of a vehicleY wheel showing ortions of the mechanism for supporting t 1e tire-carrying rim in secf tion as well as a tire mounted on one of the rims; Fig. 2, is a' View in side elevation of one of the' wedging elements employed; and, Fig. 3, is a plan of a nut used for assisting in laterally shifting the position of the wedging-elements.

Referring to the drawings in detail the reference numeral 1 indicates the felly of a wheel on which is mounted a circumferentially-extending telly-band 2, the felly and band being'of ordinary standard construction. Arranged to be sprun over and seat on the outer face of the fe lyband 2 is a split or broken contractible ring 3 the outer face of which is provided with a central inwardly-extendingportion 4 from which extends laterally an outwardly inclined portions 5 and 6 so that the outer face of the rovided with a wide shallow groove having inclined lateral portions. In practice, I generally provide the inner face of the ring 3, alongone side edge, with an inturned circumferential lip 7, to constitute an abutment or stop for use in positioning the ring on the folly-band and to serve as a guide for the same.

Mounted on the rooved face of the ring 3 are a pair of sp it or broken expansible rings' 8 and 9 which are preferably trapezoidal in cross-section with the inclined faces thereof resting on and opposing the inclined faces 5 and 6 .of the ring 3 and with their opposite faces positioned to constitute a seat on which to mount an annular unbroken rim l0 on which is mounted a tire 11 of any suitable conformation or type, whether solid, cushion or pneumatic. It will, of course, be obvious that thc type of rim. may be varied to suit the kind of tire to be used and any foi-n1 may be employed so long as f Y the contacting portions of the ring 3 and \w.'. -lgingelement El. These bolts are provided with heads 13' to receive a wrench and have their opposite ends threaded to receive nuts 14. These nuts are preferably elongated so that their ends will encounter the .outer face 4 of the ring Il and the inner face of the tire-carrying rim, to prevent their rotation when the bolts 12 are revolved.

In assembling a wheel for use which embodies this invention the split rim 3 is sprung over and seated on the outer face offthe felly-band 2 with the lip- 7 thereof enga ing one of thc lateral faces of the fellyand to assistv in positioning it so that the ring will be truly circumferential with respect to the vehicle-wheel. The two trapezoidal-sliaped rings are then sprung' into place with their thicker portions opposing each other and with their narrower edges extending laterally away from each other. The bolts are then inserted in the appropriate openings and the nuts 14 mounted on them. After this the inextensible tire-car rying band l0 is positioned so that its inner face will surround the outer faces of the rings 8 and tl, after which the bolts l. are rotated so that as their shank ends engage the wider face of the trapezoidal ring 8 the rotation of the bolts will shift the nuts 14 laterally alongr the bolts until they encounter the wider face of the opposite ring 9 and thus serve to force the rings a )art and as this is kept up it sets up a wetlging action between the -inner face of the tire-carrying rim 1t)= and the inclined faces .3 and l of the rifie 3: which siinultancolisig.' tensions the rim. seating it I-omlyv in position and also contracls he ring.r 3 tigh-Ily on .ie i'cllyband In ordinary practice all that 1s necessary to do, to rem'ove the tire-carrying riin 1U, is to sli htly release the bolts 12 and the rim can e easily slipped from its place, it, of course, not bein necessary to i entirely remove the wedge-s aped' rings 8 and 9 from their seats in order todismount the rim 10.

It will he apparent that vthis invention may be em iloyed in connection with a wheel-rim w iich is designed to carry only a single tire, as well as those types of wheels on which the.fellyband is exceedingly wide, and carries a plurality of rims and tires.

I claim:

The combination with a vehicle wheel of a contrnctiblc ring -mounted thereon, the outer face of said band rovided with a shallow groove having inclined sides, a pair of wedge-shaped rings mounted in said groove, a rim mounted on said wedgeshapcd rings. and means for' forcing said unige-shaped rings laterally away from each other to cause them to detacliably engage the inner face of said rim for holding the latter in place and simultaneously compressing tlie said grooved ring on said vehicle wheel.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of tivo subscribing witnesses.

JAMES HALE.

Witnesses A. E. KLING, C. E. HUMriiREY. 

